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Racial Abilities in Warlords of Draenor: Patch 6.0

If you are any kind of World of Warcraft fan, you know by know that two exciting events have just taken place. Just in case you are living under some prehistoric rock and don't know what those two exciting events are, let me fill you in. Yesterday, Blizzard confirmed that Alpha testing for Warlords of Draenor has begun. Huzzah! Equally as exciting, the (rather lengthy) patch notes for Patch 6.0 were released, giving us the first written look at the changes coming in the newest expansion.

Included in the patch notes was a rather interesting section detailing the changes coming to the various race's racial traits. Some changes were big, some small, and others changed not at all. What was the reasoning behind the changes and how do they stack up against the current racial traits? Read on to find out:

All Races Created Equal

You might be wondering why the big change to racial traits is happening in Warlords of Draenor? However, the question we really should be asking is why hasn't it been done before this? Blizzard has always made it a point to tell players that no race is better than another. That no race was better than another and players should choose whichever they desired, regardless of racial abilities.

Of course, this has not always been the case. A great example of this is given in the patch notes referencing the Trolls' Berserking ability. It was extremely powerful and thus, desirable to players. This ability was enough to make some players choose Troll over any other race, even if that wasn't the race they really wanted to play in game.

In Warlords of Draenor, Blizzard plans to fix all that. Finally players will be able to choose the race they want, without fear of missing out on an epic racial trait. This new expansion may be the first one where all races are created equal.

Before and After

Now that we know the why of the changes, the only thing left to do is look at what the changes actually are. Blizzard has provided us with a list of the updated racial traits in the Patch 6.0 patch notes, however, it is difficult to see how they stack up against the current version. Some traits have minor changes, while others are totally reformed. Others have been totally removed from the game, while some have remained the same.So, to make things a bit easier, I have put together both old and new racial traits side by side for simple comparison at a glance. The first list of traits is how they appear in game to us today, the second list is how your racial traits will appear in Warlords of Draenor, with all changes and removals included. So check the first list and then the second to see if a particular trait has changed or has been totally removed (if the trait you are looking for doesn't appear on the second list, it has been removed) from the game. Enjoy!

Undead

Will of the Forsaken – Remove any Charm, Fear, and Sleep effect. 2 minute cooldown.

Cannibalize – Regenerates a percentage of total health and mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.

Touch of the Grave – Attacks and damaging spells have a chance to drain the target, dealing Shadow damage and healing you for that amount.

Shadow Resistance – Reduces Shadow damage taken by 1%.

Underwater Breathing – Can breathe underwater for an infinite amount of time.

Warlords of Draenor Racial Traits:

Will of the Forsaken – Remove any Charm, Fear, and Sleep effect. 3 minute cooldown.

Cannibalize – Regenerates a percentage of total health and mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.

Touch of the Grave – Attacks and damaging spells have a chance to drain the target, dealing Shadowdamage and healing you for that amount.

Shadow Resistance – Reduces Shadow damage taken by 1%.

Wrap Up

Glancing over the changes coming to racial abilities in Warlords of Draenor, I think it is safe to say that most are not that bad. While there will surely be players upset over these changes, I am all for any and all modifications that put all races on the same level as the others. We should also keep in mind that this is just the first version of changes, until Warlords is actually released, anything can happen. So keep your head up and roll with the punches, with a new expansion on the horizon there will be plenty of them.

What do you think about the changes to racial abilities in Warlords of Draenor? Do these chances make the races equal or does more need to be done? Which abilities do you think still need a revamp? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.